The First Thanksgiving
by miserella
Summary: Madge isn't quite sure how it all happens, but her Thanksgiving isn't quite so lonely this year. Instead, she spends it with her friends... at the Hawthornes. AU.


**AN:** So I kind of hate this and it's being posted late (although, here I'm still okay) and I think it makes me a pretty bad Canadian, but I spent time on it when I should have been writing a paper... so I thought I better do something with it. This is an AU oneshot that may be followed by other holiday-themed installments. To my American readers, happy thanksgiving!

* * *

There's nothing Madge likes about grocery shopping. She's always chilly inside the Whole Foods and it always takes longer than she thinks it will. It's just another boring chore to her, made worse by the constant reminder that she's only ever shopping for one.

(Buying the small milk makes her feel lonely, okay?)

But her regular weekly shopping trip is nothing compared to this, she thinks, as she glances over the pile of frozen turkeys. They're all too large for her to eat by herself and she doesn't think she can justify spending the money on something she's not going to finish. It's just that there's no one else who she'll be sharing Thanksgiving with this year.

She has no desire to dig through the frosty birds to find one small enough to cook up for herself, but she ends up doing it anyway because she likes holidays a little too much to forgo doing something festive all together. Madge is an independent woman; she always has been, so she's not going to let a little loneliness get in her way of enjoying a turkey dinner.

When she finally finds something below ten pounds, it looks like the turkey that everyone else leaves behind. She kind of likes that about it, so she places it in her reusable bag and moves to find the area where she can buy a single sweet potato.

"That's not going to get you very far."

Realizing that the voice is for her, she turns back to find Gale Hawthorne heaving the largest turkey from the pile (with great ease, she notes) into his cart.

"Pardon?" she says meekly, eyeing the bird he lugs with appreciation-it is quite obviously meant to feed many more mouths than hers is.

"Your bird," he replies as he unfolds his shopping list and looks it over. "It's probably good for two, three at most."

Madge pulls her shopping bag closer to her side and feels the icy coolness of her turkey against her side. "Maybe that's all I need."

Gale looks amused at that. He stuffs his list back into his pocket and starts walking forward with his cart to move out of the way for another shopper looking for their Thanksgiving dinner. "Just you and that boyfriend of yours? I thought you'd be cooking for his family."

The blonde's brow furrows. "What made you think that?" He seems taken aback for a split second before she adds, "And anyway, we broke up."

"Huh." It's all he says, and like most everything he does, it frustrates her.

Rolling her eyes, she starts to inch away from him, feeling self-conscious and uneasy around him. "Yes. Well. This turkey will be more than enough for me on my own so you have nothing to worry about. Goodbye, Gale."

"Wait, Madge," he lunges after her, his hand landing on her shoulder. She's forced to turn around once more and look up at him from beneath her lashes. Something like butterflies and hope whip around in her belly and it reminds her all too well of being a silly teenaged girl with an even sillier crush on the boy before her.

(And that just reminds her of disappointment and desperation.)

"Can you help me find this stuff?" He holds up the list, crumpled and smudged, and Madge can't ignore the sincerity on his face. His steel grey eyes plead with her and as his lips twist into a something akin to a smile, she realizes nothing has changed since she was that stupid little girl.

"I have no clue what I'm doing in this place... I mean, I saw a guy wearing straw pants earlier. No shirt._No shirt_, Madge. And Posy's list is just a bunch of things I don't know how to pronounce." He sighs, long and deep, and it's obvious that this is a real problem for him.

Shaking her head, Madge grabs the list out of his hand from where he holds it in front of her face and smooths it out to read. The list is actually fairly basic and she thinks Gale should probably go shopping on his own more often, but she's still willing to help him. By the time she looks back up at him he's already hanging on to his cart again and giving her that same half-smile. She starts to move forward again, heading for the spices. Once he takes the hint, he starts to follow behind her, saying, "Great. I'm sure you know your way around this place better than I do. Ma can't really afford to shop here most of the time."

She hates that he keeps stopping her in her tracks, but she has to do it one more time. "Do you want me to help you or not?"

He looks surprised.

"You know, Gale," she continues, "I'm about to do you a favour and you decide to repay me with one of your comments on my social position-which is not funny or original, by the way. Do you have a problem? Seriously. I wanted to help you but I won't if I'm going to hear that the whole time."

Whatever surprise was visible on his face before is gone now and he shakes his head, looking at his feet. Looking back at her, he explains. "I didn't mean that. Posy-she's twelve now and on some new phase that involves being a health nut. Don't ask me where she got it from. Probably one of her magazines. The point is I'm only here because Posy asked me-and I wouldn't be otherwise."

"For Posy," she sighs, turning back around and leading him once more. "This way, Hawthorne."

...

"So. You coming?"

Gale puts the last of the potatoes and butter down on the conveyor belt as he gets ready to check out. He looks at her a beat later and Madge squirms.

"Sorry?" she asks, confused again.

"Thanksgiving at the Hawthornes. Now that you've done all my shopping for me, I feel like I better offer you an invite."

One of her eyebrows rises as she spots the smile on his face and she wonders if he's actually being genuine. But his words just make her feel worse and she chuckles mirthlessly. "A pity invite. Wow. No, I'd much rather eat my turkey alone than be your charity case."

His face falls and he scratches the back of his head, causing his already choppy hair to appear messier. "I can't find the right words today." He faces her head on and takes the bag off her arm. "Listen to me. Leave this," he holds the bag up, dropping it into an unused shopping cart nearby. "Come by Thursday, and don't be alone on Thanksgiving."

Gale says it like he's giving her instructions and it might be funny if she wasn't so shocked. This time it's clear he really is inviting her and, though she's not sure why, or what to think, it makes her feel really good.

He's waiting for some kind of response as her mouth hangs open and she shakes herself out of it once the cashier starts ringing up his items. "Gale..."

He shrugs. "Ma will kill me if she finds out I let you refuse. Don't tell me you _want_ to eat that thing alone."

"No, but-"

"We eat at six thirty. See you then, since I got it from here," he gestures towards his groceries in the checkout and turns his attention away from her.

She leaves her bag behind.

...

When she shows up at six o'clock, the Hawthorne address is a madhouse. Vick opens the door to her and immediately blushes beet red; Rory sticks his head out from behind him and howls her name before enveloping her in a huge hug. She's met Rory once or twice, but that's just how he is.

"You've gotten so big," she tells him, and it's true-he's twenty now and taller than his older brother (making him the closest thing to a giant), though his form is much thinner. The last time she saw him, he hadn't quite hit his growth spurt yet, so she can't help but comment.

"And you're more beautiful than I remember," he winks, only to be slapped on the arm by a smaller girl beside him.

Madge gasps. "Prim!"

Katniss' sister smiles warmly and gives Madge a hug to follow Rory's. "Madge, it's good to see you."

It was just before Prim went away to college in California two years ago that Madge saw her last and it's clear that the coast is treating her kindly as the younger Everdeen looks as pretty and happy as ever. It's also evident that her and Rory are still together despite her move, which Madge thinks is sweet.

A dark braid tickles her cheek as it brushes past her; an arm comes around to tighten quickly around her shoulders. Madge clues in quickly that they belong to Katniss, but before she can make a move to side-hug her back she's breezing past. "Hi, Madge!" she calls over her shoulder. There's a crying baby somewhere, and then somebody older crying, "Katniss! Some help!" which must be Peeta. Madge giggles as she finds her friend on the path to her husband who is gently rocking their hysterical newborn with a hysterical face of his own. Katniss takes the baby from him and soothes the little girl with a mellow tune, giving Peeta the chance to spot her peering over. The corners of his mouth lift into a huge grin and he gives her a big wave hello from across the room. Madge returns his gesture and turns around, coming face to face with a younger girl who seems to have a very perplexed look on her face.

Madge can spot a Hawthorne when she sees one, if the dark hair, olive skin, and tall stature weren't any indicators. "You must be Posy," Madge smiles.

"Who are you?" the girl throws back, looking like she's trying to place her name. But Madge knows that it's unlikely Posy really knows who she is, since her father went out of office before Posy was old enough to make the connection, and though she's friends with Katniss, they don't exactly hang around each other all the time. "Wait. I know. You're totally Madge, aren't you?"

"Um. Totally."

"Yeah, okay. So, like, I want to be a spy when I grow up? And sometimes Gale says some pretty stupid stuff when he's sleeping, right? So one night I thought I'd try to get some dirt on him and I recorded him sleep-talking. Well, he went on about this, like, bombing thing forever and it was totally weird and scary but then he was like, 'I need to save her, I need to save Madge,' and I was like, 'Okay, who's Madge?', right? I do some snooping, yadda yadda yadda, and basically, I learn Madge is, well, you, but I only had blonde blue-eyed mayor's daughter to go off of. That's what Rory told me because Gale, like, chased me around the house when I asked about you. I mean, basically. So yeah, are you Gale's girlfriend or something?"

Despite struggling to keep up with Posy, Madge knows she's blushing fiercely at the youngest Hawthorne's revelations and final question. There's no way it's true-and she certainly isn't his girlfriend-but it leaves her staring wide-eyed at the twelve-year-old and wondering just what she should say to all of... that.

"Posy Hawthorne, you are going to make the worst spy one day," comes Gale's growl from behind his sister, "_if_ I don't kill you first."

"What?" Posy rolls her eyes, leaning on one of her hips. Madge picks up quickly that the girl has a lot of attitude for a twelve-year-old. She thinks it comes with the territory, and it's all kind of entertaining as long as it's not at her expense. "Gale, she's pretty."

"Yeah, well..." With both hands on his sister's shoulders, Gale steers her towards the kitchen. "You can admire her later. Go help Ma with the carrots like I asked you to ten minutes ago."

Her eyes are just as wide as when Posy was standing in front of her when Gale turns back to her, but she dissolves into laughter with one look at his simultaneously irritated and amused face. "Do they grow out of that?"

Madge laughs. "Definitely."

"Good," he sighs. "Come meet Ma."

He takes off towards the kitchen and she follows close behind, waving hello to Mrs. Everdeen as she passes by. When she enters the kitchen behind Gale, she sees Peeta's dad arranging a bowl of freshly made buns-she knows because the room smells absolutely divine-and Posy looking bored as her mother points at the carrots she's pulled out from the oven.

"Ma, Madge is here," Gale tells her, and the woman at the stove glances behind her before putting the carrots down and sliding her oven mitt off.

Madge is struck by the sight of Hazelle Hawthorne, who with her long black hair and sage grey eyes, looks like she's gone through hell and back-and Madge doesn't doubt that she has to keep her children happy. She knows that Gale lost his father at a young age and since then this woman has done all that she can to raise her four children to the best of her ability. Aside from some of Gale's traits, Madge can only commend Hazelle for the work she's done.

"Madge Undersee," she greets with the softest smile Madge has ever seen. "It's a pleasure to have you in our home."

"Oh," Madge shakes her head. "Not at all. Thank you for having me, Mrs. Hawthorne."

"You call me Hazelle, sweetie," the woman says, then approaches her. She rests her hands that, despite working in a warm kitchen, are soft and cool on Madge's own. Leaning in closer, she says, "Your father was a great man. Gale's father quite admired what he tried to do as mayor. I just wanted you to know that, dear."

Madge nods as if it's all she can do and thanks her quietly when she moves back towards the stove.

"Now you two go join your friends in the other room and have some fun. Dinner will be out soon," Hazelle directs towards her and Gale in a way that Madge finds she has to obey. It's no wonder the Hawthorne kids are wrapped around her finger.

...

When they sit down for dinner, Madge is still thinking about the way Gale's large hand guided her out of the kitchen by the small of her back and how she caught him looking at her from across the room while he was talking to Peeta and she was chatting with Katniss (and cooing over the little one). It comes off as bizarre to her because just a week ago, he was making her feel bad for being alone on Thanksgiving and now, well...

"Do you regret it yet?" Gale asks as he settles in the seat next to hers.

The table around which they sit is blustering with activity, from Hazelle dodging an impassioned, story-telling Rory to place the gravy boat on the table, to Mr. Mellark carving the turkey with great difficulty; Prim and Posy are pouring over something on Prim's phone and Katniss waves her mother off as she attempts to fix her daughter's hair. On the other end of the table, Peeta and Vick sit quietly, both looking at the bundled baby in her father's arms with great admiration.

Madge watches all of this happen for a minute longer than she needs to and when her eyes flicker over to Gale's profile she knows he's doing the same.

"Not even a little bit."

It takes him a second to return his gaze to her, but when he does, there's a growing smile on his face that she doesn't think she's ever seen before.

...

"I don't think I've ever been this full."

Madge stays after dinner is finished to help clean up, citing the chore as the very least she could do. Peeta and Katniss leave after they serve up one of Peeta's specialties for dessert as the baby needs to get home for bedtime and is already causing a fuss. Mr. Mellark gets going as well but Prim and Mrs. Everdeen join Madge in staying behind, both taking a cup of tea from Hazelle and sitting down with her for a chat. Rory sits with them, and from the kitchen where they're washing dishes, Gale and Madge guess it's about the big surprise they sprung on everyone during dinner-Rory has plans to move out west with Prim in January. They're going to live together.

It's certainly exciting, but Madge was a little distracted by all the food in front of her at the time. Now, she's feeling the after effects and Gale is laughing at her. "It was like you'd never seen a Thanksgiving feast before."

Her eyes widen. "Not like that, I haven't."

"Your appetite rivalled Catnip's, and that one can dig in," he laughs again, scrubbing at a dish in the sink.

"Okay, enough," she smiles, shaking her head. When his laughter continues, she elbows him in the ribs; it's not supposed to be hard enough to hurt but Gale still yelps in pain.

"Yikes, you're as feisty as she is, too. Who knew?"

Madge smirks proudly from beside him as she dries the dish he passes he with an old cloth. "There's more than meets the eye, Hawthorne."

He whistles at that, putting some elbow grease into getting the grime off a casserole dish. "Don't I know it."

From there, they both fall into an awkward silence as the ladies and Rory in the other room talk in gentle tones over their tea. Even with the bizarre quality of their quietness, Madge feels comfortable and more at home than she's felt in years. The simple domestic task of washing dishes by hand with another person and the sounds of conversation in another room are warming to her and she hates that she'll have to retire to the emptiness of her own home soon enough.

Gale clears his throat before he asks, out of the blue, "So, Undersee. Favourite part of the night. What'd you like best?"

"Ummm," she vocalizes as she thinks it over. There are many things she could say. The food, for one. Catching up with friends and making new ones. Not being alone on the holiday. "I think... That cheesy tradition of everyone going around the table and saying what they're thankful for. I liked that and I don't care if that's dumb."

"Not dumb," he reassures her. "Everyone always says the same things here, though. If you noticed, we all said my Ma. Katniss and Peeta are thankful for each other and their 'little muffin' or whatever they're calling her. Posy is, of course, thankful for her brothers, and so on." He shrugs, passing Madge the casserole dish to be dried. "I feel like it loses meaning when we say these things only one day a year and start fighting the next."

"Well, I've never done it before today, and it meant something to _me_." Madge doesn't mean to sound defensive, but she feels like she needs to be. She'd told the table that she was thankful that Posy told Gale to go to Whole Foods, because it meant she didn't have to be alone on Thanksgiving. The generosity and kindness she's been on the receiving end of today has been incredibly important to her, and it's something she truly is thankful for.

"I know you did, Madge. We all did," he stops his washing, resting his hands on the edge of the sink. "I mean the rest of us. We mean one thing and show another half the time. Myself included. It's not a big deal-"

"That's the way it is, but it doesn't mean we're any less thankful... That we don't mean it," Madge shrugs, speaking softly. "If you want it to change, then mean something and show it."

She takes the cloth to another plate waiting for her and when it's done, there's a clatter of noise when she places it on the top of a pile of clean plates. After that, she becomes aware of his silence and she lets herself look at him by her side.

He's looking at her in the same way he did earlier. She can't quite place what burns behind his eyes but it both makes her slightly uneasy and eager for an explanation.

When she stops drying to look at him, he stands up straight and leans his right hip against the counter to face her. His arms cross in front of him and he says, "Fine. I was a jerk to you for most of your life. You lived in town, I lived across the seam-you were all I despised growing up because you had it easy."

Madge opens her mouth to protest but he shakes his head. "I know now that I was wrong to think that way, Madge. I just faced different hardships than you did. I was never alone."

It hits her like a bag of bricks, for someone to say it out loud like that-she almost can't breathe with the way he states it like a fact. And she can't deny it. She never had the support he so obviously does. Her mother was a drunk and her father was working, always working. With the both of them gone and her only friend, Katniss, making a family, there is no facade anymore. She has the feeling Gale can see that.

"I'm not glad that _you_ _were_, but I'm thankful that you were by yourself that day, Madge, because it means you're here now. You're with us."

Madge fiddles with the washcloth in her hands, tucking her hair behind her ear. He actually sounds genuine and if his words didn't warm her, she would probably be freaking out. The truth is she can't help but smile, because she always underestimated how nice it would feel to hear that. "Gale..."

"And I'm thankful that I stopped seeing what I saw as a dumb teenager because I'd never see you for what you are now..." His voice drops to a whisper and his eyes bore into hers when she looks over. "Kind, quiet, brave..." He smirks. "Hungry, _feisty_." She laughs at that, rolling her eyes, but it's not funny when he finishes, "Beautiful."

She blushes. "Gale Hawthorne, a sap. Who would have guessed?"

His arms uncross from in front of him and he inches closer to her, smiling like he knows something she doesn't. "There's more than meets the eye, Undersee."

"Is there?" she asks. He's close enough for her to smell his aftershave and the proximity quickens her pulse.

"Mmhm," he mumbles, keeping his gaze on her. It's heavy and she feels it and Madge has no idea how to react to any of this, so she trusts her gut.

"I guess we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Guess so," he says, and she can feel his breath against her lips before he kisses her with his soapy resting against her jaw, tilting her towards him. It doesn't feel real to Madge-she thinks it must be a dream-but that doesn't stop her from responding to his embrace and moving closer still. She twists around to face him more comfortably as he kisses her again and her back hits the edge of the counter, reminding her of where she is and who she's with.

She allows herself a moment to revel in the feeling she gets from his lips against hers before she tries to pull away. His kisses are firm but sweet and the way his calloused hand brushes against her skin so softly sends her head spinning. It's then that her hand comes to rest on his chest, hesitantly pulling back.

Madge giggles at his dazed face and the blush rises on her cheeks again. "Um. That was...all very nice, Gale, but-"

"Wow," he breathes, finally tuning in. He laughs, too, and shakes his head. "That's another thing I'm thankful for."

"Making out in your mother's kitchen?" Madge teases. She tries to turn back around to finish the dishes or start putting them away or _something_ just to stop her heart from beating so fast, but Gale's hand on her elbow stops her again.

"Making out with _you_ in my mother's kitchen. Meaning something and showing it."

And it all feels so weird to her, because this is Gale and she's Madge and she's standing in his house with his hand on her waist and it's still wet with dishwater and his family is in the next room and... They're supposed to be adults and things are supposed to make sense but even though this doesn't, it feels all too right.

There are so many questions she has, but that's for another time. She'll give thanks now and worry later when his mother comes in to the room and asks them why it's taking so long and tells Madge she can finish up with her son; she'll think about it after he's walked her to her car and told her to drive safe because it's dark out there. There is still too much time that she has to herself, but the space and silence is no longer as empty.

(And her weekly trip to the grocery store is no longer as depressing, for which she is thankful.)


End file.
